Akin To Immortal
by KokiriLink
Summary: Post OoT/MM. LinkxSaria Paring. Link returns to his childhood home after four years of traveling. But when he arives to the peaceful Kokiri Village, he finds several surprises. CANCELED, SORRY PEOPLE.
1. Prologue

- Prologue -

Saria sat by the only occupied infirmary bed in the Hyrule Castle sickroom. Tear tracks stained her pretty cheeks, although now she just sat quietly, almost as if she were emotionally flat-lining. She leaned on the bedside table, which doubled as a mini chest-of-drawers, half-dozing, and staring at the comatose form of a boy of about fourteen years of age, waiting for him to wake.

She was in a relatively large room made of stone, on the ground floor of the castle. Through the glass, which in itself was a sure sign of wealth, the occasional bolt of lightning illuminated the sky, and the walls of rain hammered the glass.

The Kokiri girl had been sitting there for the past four days, having had her meals brought to her by one of the castle servants. Her best friend laid there, immobile, unconscious, barely even breathing. She wasn't the only one who had visited, though. Several of his friends had been there: Darunia, his sworn brother, Zelda, the Princess herself, and even Mido made the journey a couple of days previously.

Saria couldn't shake how odd Mido looked. After all, he had grown almost a foot and a half in the past four years. Ever since the Great Deku Tree died, and Link left the forest, all the Kokiri began growing again. One of the Know-it-All Brothers said it was probably the magic of the Great Deku Tree that kept them from aging, thus indirectly making them immortal. She thought to herself that she probably looked just as different.

Saria's eyes fluttered fully open as she heard a door open quietly then close. She looked up, and saw the King's daughter walking in. Princess Zelda was about the same age as the teenager in the stretcher, and Saria herself, but the stress of this situation was making her features more drawn and older in appearance.

Zelda spoke softly. "How… how is he?" She tried to look as if she was confident and calm, but the worry could be seen in her eyes. She glanced down at the bandages covering the right side of his abdomen, a tinge of pink creeping into them from the blood seeping out of his wound. Gauze also covered his chest, similarly shaded with his own blood. Both of these wounds were deep, and any normal Hylian would've died immediately… but something was different about this boy.

Saria stood, slightly unbalanced. She was still unused to her "new" body. "He still hasn't woken up." She looked sadly at his face, and a tear began to roll down her face. "I can't help but think this is my fault… If I had-"

"Don't talk like that," Zelda interrupted her sternly, placing a hand on Saria's shoulder. "Link risked his life to protect you; he knew what he was doing."

Saria sighed, then nodded, "You're right…" She sat back down, looking back up at Zelda. "Do you think he'll be alright?"

The young princess gave Saria a small smile, and then said in a voice barely above a whisper, "Yes. I don't think anything could take him from us. Link is just too strong." Zelda stood at the foot of his bed in silence for a few more minutes, lost in her own thoughts, and then she turned slowly and walked out, leaving Saria alone with her life-long friend.

The forest child sighed heavily again, and looked at Link's face. She had spent her entire life with that one face, waking her up in the morning, and comforting her when she was hurt. Entertaining her when she was bored, and protecting her whenever she was in danger. Being both a friend… and maybe something more.

He had always been there for her, and she had always been there for him. She couldn't imagine a world without him... she took a deep breath, and leaned on the bedside table again. If only she could've stopped this all from happening.

If only she had known.


	2. Chapter One

**Author's Notes:** Yo, to everyone that reviewed my story, thanks! It really helps my motivation go even higher. Now, setting aside that awkward sentence, I'd like to give a special thanks to three authors who inspired me to put this story onto (virtual) paper: Dannondorf, LinkHammer, and Forest Girl Kaz. These three authors and their own stories got me to start this, and I fully intend to carry this story to the very end. Note, the chapters' lengths may be inconsistent, but trust me; I will do my best to keep the quality as high as I possibly can.

**Disclaimer: **Well, it has to be said… I am Shigeru Miyamoto! I own Zelda! Okay, I'm just deluding myself. I do not own Zelda in any form or fashion. (Bah!) Any similarities between any characters you see in this fan fiction and real-life people are entirely coincidental unless otherwise noted.

* * *

- Chapter One -

**Two Weeks Previous…**

Finally, open field! Link rode out onto the broad expanse of Hyrule Field. The moon shone over head, along with tiny pinpricks of light, stars sparkling brightly in the beautiful night sky. He leaned down and patted Epona's mane and whispered, "You're almost home, c'mon." He spurred her gently, and she set off at a mellow trot.

The Hylian boy loved this newfound freedom, feeling the wind blowing through his clothes, the smell of the countryside filling his nostrils. Yet his revelry was cut short, as he remembered with a pang, Saria, his best friend. He had left rather abruptly, with barely even a "good-bye". He brushed his guilt aside, telling himself he'd go to Kokiri Forest right after he dropped Epona off at Lon Lon Ranch.

After a few more minutes, the reached the entrance; it was open, as usual. He pulled on her mane, but not to hard. She stopped, knowing that was her signal to do so. Link slid off Epona's back, and lead her into the ranch. They walked together up the incline, up to the small path between their house and the stables. He looked out to the coral: closed, and empty. "Looks like we're gonna have one last jump together, Epona," Link whispered to his quadrupedal friend. He hoisted himself back onto her bare back.

"Three…" He tightened his grip around her mane, but being careful not to hurt her. "Two…" Link set his knees into Epona's flanks, so he wouldn't fall off. "One!" He dug his heels into her sides, and urged her on. She set off at a gallop. Closer, closer, closer to the corral fence, they sped; they leapt over the fence, gliding through the air, almost like birds.

And then, they landed, and Epona cantered to a halt, neighed, and shook her auburn head. Link once again slipped off of Epona, petted her mane, and then headed to the corral's fence. Once he got to the pen's barrier, he turned and whispered, so as not to wake Talon, Ingo, or Malon, "See ya later, Epona… old friend." He smiled, then turned, and hoisted himself over the fence.

Epona whinnied again and began grazing, hungry after such a long journey.

* * *

The verdant green leaves were shown in the silver light of the moon when Link arrived in Kokiri Forest. He looked around at all the houses, each one housing anywhere from one to three Kokiri each. He walked past the training area and Know-it-All brother's hut. Looking, he saw his tree house was still there, but the ladder was missing. It simply wasn't there. Link frowned, but took this in stride as he continued through the village.

He was relieved to be home... but something didn't feel right. He decided that he should probably just get some sleep. But first, he had to see Saria first. The Hylian had been away for four years, and she had probably decided he was dead.

Trembling slightly with excitement, he walked quietly into Saria's house, knocking on the door frame softly as he did so. Looking left and right, he quickly saw that she wasn't home. She was probably at the Sacred Forest Meadow. "Great, now I'm going to have to walk all that way," He muttered jokingly to himself. He turned around, and headed to the slope that led to the Lost Woods.

After a short while, he was navigating the lush, green maze that led to the Sacred Forest Meadow. He heard the soft tones of an ocarina floating to him on the night breeze. He smiled, and whispered to himself, "Like old times, Saria." He continued walking, even though he was bone-tired; he wished to see his best, and what had been for the first ten years of his life, only friend. He made the final hike up the stairs leading to the small clearing before the temple. He glanced to the stump where his Kokiri friend usually sat, her stump.

His heart skipped a beat: was that Saria? She looked so _different_; the most obvious change was her height: She had grown a good foot and a half. Her hair now trailed down to her shoulder blades. Her face was more attractive, more feminine. She had grown… but how was that possible? Wasn't she a Kokiri, wasn't she one of the race that never ages? His confusion had frozen him to the spot; he stared at her for what seemed like ages, enthralled by her newfound appearance.

He finally shook himself after what felt like an eternity, but was probably only a couple of minutes, and walked forward, and cleared his throat. She jumped slightly, stopped playing, and opened her eyes. After a few minutes of a similar confusion that Link had just experienced himself, Saria whispered, "Link? Link, is it really you?" She stood up quickly, and walked quickly over to him, examining him. After a few seconds of looking him up and down, she looked into his eyes. "It really is you!" She threw her arms around him, holding him tightly as if she would never let go.

Link returned the embrace, quietly ecstatic to be with his life-long friend once more. For the first time in four years, he felt at home.

* * *

"Saria, what happened to you?" Link asked her, his gentle eyes puzzling over this question. They were meandering through the woods together. With the general destination of Kokiri Village, they had no reason to hurry, savoring the time they finally had together.

"Well, after the Great Deku Tree died, the Kokiri began to grow."

"Really?"

"Yes, the Know-it-All brothers can't agree what the cause is, but one of them said that the Great Deku Tree's magic was what kept us, you know, young, and, immortal. Another one said that if one leaves the forest, they're all punished by having their youth taken away." At this she glanced at Link with an amused smile. "The third one said that we probably weren't meant to know, and didn't say anything more on the subject."

"Which brother thought that if one left, all the Kokiri are punished?"

"Um… I think it was Rusl."

"Yeah, I thought so. He still forgotten about that time I accidentally pushed him into the pond, I see."

Saria stopped walking. "That was no accident, I saw you. You snuck up behind him and shoved him in." They both laughed and continued walking to the village.

They didn't have any interruptions, until...

"Well, if it isn't Mr. No-Fairy." Mido walked out of the shadows behind his house. "What are you doing here? You should know you're not welcome."

Link gritted his teeth; the first thing he didn't want to see was this person. Mido, the one who had made his time among the Kokiri almost intolerable. Saria glared at the 'Leader of the Kokiri', "He's welcome here, and you don't have the right to ban anyone from this forest."

"Saria, you should know, he's the _freak_ that killed the Great Deku Tree!" He spat at Link's feet, and folded his arms. "I, the Great Mido, say he may no longer be in this forest. That is my word, and it is final!" Mido scowled at Link, daring him to say otherwise with his eyes.

Link glared back with equal ferocity, and they stood there, in some sort of silent stand-off. "Mido, I'll leave the forest," he paused, and look directly into the other boy's eyes coldly, "if you can make me." His hand strayed to the blade at his hip.

The Boss of the Kokiri glanced at the blade. "You won't always have your sword to hide behind, coward." He walked away, probably to fume so no one could hear him.

"Link, would you've really used your sword on the likes of him?" Saria asked, slightly frightened at the prior viciousness in Link's gaze.

"No, I wouldn't've, I just was making a point." His eyes had now returned to their original gentility. "I don't know if he and I'll ever see eye to eye, though." He smiled at Saria, "But that's neither here nor there. By the way, do you mind if I sleep in your house tonight? I noticed the ladder to my house was broken."

Saria nodded, "Yeah, I think that happened during a storm a couple of years ago. The winds were so strong, that it ripped the ladder off and blew it to somewhere in the middle of the forest."

Link blinked in surprise. "Really? Wow, must've been a bad storm."

"Yeah, it was. Mido was almost blown away by the gusts."

Link chuckled, and glanced over to the small pond over by the shop.

"Well, we're here." Saria walked into her house and beckoned Link to come in. "You can sleep in my bed for tonight, and then tomorrow, we can go find some way to get you back into your house."

"But where'll you sleep?"

She just shook her head and smiled. As Link followed the Kokiri girl into her house, he paused. He felt as if someone was watching him. He looked back, but saw nothing. He shrugged it off, and decided that it was his tired mind playing tricks on him.

He had no idea how mistaken he was.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **O.K., this chapter didn't take me that long to write, but I gave it a week's break after I actually edited it, 'cause I've been lazy. Sue me, I'm not going to change. XD

I'd like to say a special "thank you" to the users: skyfire146, HUNG DEAD SCREAMING, Moogle Gunner, LinkHammer, snipa, Clayton A. Pettett, and Lord-Dark-Link. They reviewed my prologue (which I think is much better than this, but whatever, I still think this is good), and they're a real inspiration to keep on writing.

Another note, I take a ton, and I do mean a ton of inspiration from music. In fact, I may use a few lines from music in my writing because they fit way to damn well to pass up. So, keep an eye out for that, and if you can spot it, I'll give you a $5 gift card to Wal-Mart. OK, no, I'm lying, but still, have fun with that. And if you don't like that, then who cares, up yours, go to hell, bull shit, I don't need parts that badly.

Just kidding.


	3. Chapter Two

**Author's Notes: **Woo! I got this chapter up about a week after I finished it. There are two reasons for this, really. One, I wanted to edit it, proofread, whatever you want to call it. And two, I waited 'till the sixteenth on purpose, 'cause it's my Birthday! Woo!

I'm still kinda introducing the story, so just bear with me. I've got somethin' planned for chapter three that'll be rather interesting (in my opinion). So, go on, read the chapter!

Oh yes, in the previous chapter, I said "**Two Weeks Previous**", and I'm thinking of changing that, actually, to a longer period before hand, maybe a few months. But don't worry; I'll warn you if I do decide to do that.

* * *

- Chapter Two -

Link collapsed on Saria's vacant bed, his body seeming weaker than it had been not five minutes ago. His vision swayed as his eyelids locked themselves to block out the dim moonlight filtering in through the window. The last thing he remembered seeing before he departed the conscious world was watching the Kokiri girl walk back out the door they just came in. Too tired to care, he simply let himself float into a deep sleep.

_He was dreaming… a time when his mind created both pleasing paradises and torturous penitentiaries. At first, the Hylian child didn't know what to make of this strange reverie, for it was just a blur; the surrounding expanse was shimmering like rippling water. It was slightly dizzying but the colors were rather monochrome: just mainly grays._

_He saw before him a face, dualistically beautiful and terrible, both enchanting and repulsing. Link was captivated by this face, even though he could barely make any detail out._

_The enormous face began changing into a spectral horse, soot black, and a fiery mane. It bore a rider, tall, dark green skin, and equally fiery red hair. The jewel set into his forehead glinted crimson in the nonexistent light, as did the evil in his eyes. Link tried to move, but he couldn't. He was immobile, helpless. There was only one thing he could do in this situation, but as he tried to open his mouth, it wouldn't respond; he couldn't even scream. His fear built up in his chest, and he writhed inwardly, trying desperately to get away from this horror. He couldn't even scream, whether for help, or just to relieve this terrible panic building up in his chest._

_The dark rider turned its petrifying gaze toward Link, and he began spurring his steed onward. It charged toward him with blinding speed, as its rider drew a sword from his hip. His face came into focus as he rode nearer, and Link's worst suspicions were confirmed: this man was Ganondorf Dragmire, the former King of Evil, but now he was supposed to be sealed away._

_Dragmire charged onwards to Link, raising the sword. Link tried to take a step back, but his feet felt like lead, immovable. The Gerudo King swung his evil blade and-_

Link awoke in a cold sweat. His chest heaved up and down as he stared at the ceiling. He wondered, in his state of terror, was what he just experienced, was it some sort of prophecy? A foretelling of his own death? Like his dreams before Ganondorf actually took over Hyrule. He looked around the house: empty. No one but himself resided in it. He stood up, and found his legs to be shaky; he felt nauseous, unbalanced, and he stumbled forward from the unexpected delirium. He leaned against the wall, and tried to catch his breath, gasping still from that horrible fever-dream.

Finally, he stood, breathing at a normal rate again. He ran his fingers through his hair, and picked his cap up from the floor by the bed he slept in the previous night. He shook his head, trying to clear it, and donned his green pointed hat. He slowly walked out into the morning sunshine. It looked to be about three hours before noon, and the crisp air chilled his skin, waking him up further. He looked around the village, and a few Kokiri were carrying out their chores for the day. He was unnoticed, on account that most of them were too sleepy to observe that an old friend had rejoined them. He simply shrugged, and turned left, and walked down the incline that led to his home. Link stopped at the roots, grimacing at the lack of a ladder to get to his house. "Why did I get the only tree house?" He shook his head, and looked for a way to climb the tree without a ladder. If only he kept all his equipment from Termina. But no, he had to leave it all behind.

"Hey! Link! You're finally up!"

Link turned around to see Saria, walking up to him with a coiled up rope around her shoulder. She looked tired, but pleased to see him. "What's that for?" he asked, pointing to the hempen line.

"Well, how else do you expect to get up there?"

"Okay, that's nice and all, but how do you expect that rope to stay up there without some sort of hook?"

"Well, I hadn't thought of that." She slid the rope down to her hand, and tossed it to Link. He caught it deftly, and shouldered it himself. "I'll be right back; I'm going to the store." She walked off, yawning, and Link leaned against the tree's trunk, watching her wander away. He was still unused to how different, albeit much more attractive, she looked. At this thought, he blushed slightly, and looked up at the crystal blue sky.

The hairs on the back of his neck stiffened; that same feeling from yesterday, that eerie feeling of being watched. He stood up straight, and looked around, but he couldn't see anyone. He would've shrugged it off again, were it not for his nightmare the previous night.

He scowled, annoyed at his skittishness. "Superstitious nonsense," he scoffed quietly to himself. He turned his attention to the tree before him, wondering how he'd get back into his house. He glanced down at his clothes: they were stained with dried blood, dirt, mud, sweat, and everything else he had trekked through. His tunic was torn so much that he could barely recognize it as a tunic.

"Hey, I got it," Saria yawned, waving a strange hooked piece of metal as she approached Link. She handed it to him, and yawned again.

"Thanks, Saria," he took the hook as he said this, and began tying it to one end of the hemp rope. He glanced up at her, and remarked, "You look exhausted. Didn't you sleep last night?"

"I haven't been sleeping much lately," she muttered wearily. "I dunno why."

"Well, why don't you go get some sleep now?" Link queried as he stood, twirling the rope experimentally.

"F-f-fiiine," the Kokiri girl managed around a rather large yawn. She smiled sleepily, and walked off to her house.

Link watched her go off, and then turned his attention to the task at hand: getting up into his house. "Okay, let's do this," he murmured to himself, twirling the grappling hook faster and faster, looking up at the balcony's railing. Grimacing, he hoped it was sturdy enough to hold his weight. As the hook made its final revolution, he flung it up there with untrained precision.

The hook sped through the air, and missed the railing. The Hylian shook his head, "I should've expected the first attempt to fail. Ah well, let's try this again." He swung the rope again, and let it loose; once again, it flew up to the balcony, but this time, the rope hit the railing, and the hook speed around it, it's revolutions growing smaller and smaller until the hook met wood. He tugged on the rope to make sure it was sturdy, and this being confirmed, he began his short climb to his house.

He clambered to the top without incident, and he walked into his house. The cool interior was darker than most houses; the leaves from the tree in which his house rested were blocking the sun from permeating the small building, save for the entrance: the door. Link's shadow was cast upon everything within the beam of morning sunlight. He walked in, to the small chest at the foot of his bed. He pulled out a small tarnished key, and, fitting it into the lock, opened the lockbox. There it was: his old ocarina, the one that was given to him by his best and closest friend. He stood up straight, and, looking down at his ripped, dirty, undersized tunic, he smirked wryly, and pulled it off.

The small amount of sunlight glinted off of his torn torso. He grimaced at the terrible war-scars decorating his shoulders and chest. Link then pulled a pair of brown pants out of the drawers at the head of his old bed. He pulled them on; they fit him reasonably well, albeit slightly too big. But that was nothing a belt couldn't handle, and at that, he pulled said belt out of the drawer, and tightened it around his waist. He then reached in and pulled out a green shirt. He sighed, and laughed quietly, "And I thought having these extra clothes was pointless." The young Hylian pulled the shirt over his battered body. Well, it'll have to do." He walked over to the wooden ocarina, pulled it out, and pocketed it.

Link paused. There was something he was forgetting. He then rolled his eyes at his own absent-mindedness, and reached up and yanked his old, shredded, brownish-green (it used to be just a plain green, but the years of dirt, grime, and blood stained into an unrecognizable piece of cloth), pointed cap. He, once again, reaching into his apparent 'drawers of wonder', he pulled out a new cap. He wondered aloud, "Where do I get all these new clothes?"

He picked his gilded sword from the floor, and partially unsheathed it, revealing five inches of the golden blade's base. The red handle was covered in a soft, but durable, material that made wielding the longsword easier on his hand. He saw the morning light play along the gold, glittering brightly. It was odd, how such a beautiful thing could do something so evil, he mused silently. He set the sword down and turned around, heading out of the door.

But he paused: something didn't feel right. He turned around and picked up his sword. He belted it across his back. Grimacing at his apparent dependence of his weapon of war, he simply walked outside into the warm sunlight. He tightened the belt, making sure his sword didn't bounce all over the place. He reached up and made sure it was within reaching distance of his left hand. Link looked back at the red grip.

It was odd, how such a beautiful thing could do something so evil.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **OK, I tried to get a certain emotion across in Link that was hard to pick up (maybe?), and I'd like to see if anyone caught on. So, tell me what you think it was, and if I did a good job in getting it across. Was I too subtle? Or not subtle enough? You know, things like that. Anyhow, happy B-day to me! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I'm gonna start numero tres any time soon… when I finally get off my lazy ass, buckle down, and do it!

Review please, I need all the inspiration I need, and I'm all out of Dr Pepper! What else will keep me awake enough to write, if not your reviews? XD

By the way, for my friend Moogle Gunner: go read his Final Fantasy Tactics: Advance fan-fiction! He's been supporting me even before I started uploading the story, and this is my way of helping him in return. So please, help me help him! It's, so far, a short prologue, but it's still rather well written.


	4. Chapter Three

**Author's Notes: **OK, this chapter's mostly conversation. And, keep in mind I'm writing this with very little pre-writing. I just have a basic idea of a story line, with a few plans for the future. But, I prefer writing like this. Its quality won't exactly be… flawless… but I prefer this to pre-writing because you get to see my thought process easier. =P

* * *

- Chapter Three -

Saria meandered slowly into her house, so tired that she barely noticed where she was going. She had barely slept the last few days, and she felt it was because something didn't feel right. The forest, something was wrong with it; almost as if it were plagued. She shook her head, and sat down on her bed.

She was overwhelmingly excited that her best friend had returned, even if outwardly she displayed very few signs of her ecstasy. She remembered staring into his sapphire eyes, and then holding him as if she would never let him go. "If only I could look into his eyes again," she thought to herself. After this thought crossed her mind, her face turned crimson.

"I'm probably just tired," she murmured aloud, and lay down on her bed. She noted, the mattress was still warm, and she curled up, savoring this warmth as her eyelids drooped shut. Her lips curled into a small smile; her best friend was back. Link was finally back.

* * *

Link ambled aimlessly through the forest village he hadn't seen in four years. Other than a few minor differences, the village was mostly the same, at least in appearances. Its inhabitants, however, were all as Saria and Mido. They all had aged in the four years he had been gone. All of the Kokiri had gone from having the body of a ten-year-old to that of a teenager, as if they were Hylian.

A few Kokiri stopped and stared at Link, as if they didn't believe their eyes. He even heard a few conversing, but pretended not to listen. One of them asked his friend, "Oh my Goddesses, isn't that Link?"

"I think it is! I thought he was dead, man!" his friend declared.

"Yeah, me too! He's been gone for, like, what, four years?" queried the first Kokiri.

"Yes, I wonder where he went. And why is he carrying that sword?" This was the third Forest child.

"Don't you remember? He carried around the Kokiri Sword for a while."

"Yeah, I do. But why?"

"Pshh, as if I know. Still, that's not the Kokiri Sword. Look at its, umm… what'd Bo call it?"

"A 'sheath', I think."

"Yeah, that thing. It's red. Wasn't the Kokiri Sword's blue?"

"You can remember something like that?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Nothing, you're just like an elephant."

"What in the name of Farore is an 'elephant'?"

"Rusl was talking about them. Big, grey-skinned, four legged creatures, they have a long nose, and big ears. Apparently, they never forget anything."

"Sounds like a freak to me." At this, they all laughed.

"Well, at any rate… shouldn't we welcome him back?"

"Yeah, probably, that'd be the nice thing to do."

"Are you kidding? Mido would kill us!"

"You make me laugh. You're still afraid of him?"

"Afraid of whom?" Mido had walked up in between the three friends. "Why aren't you three working?"

"Um, we finished working, sir, if you please." One of the three replied.

"Well, you should report to me when you're finished."

"Of course, sir." Mido walked away. Link was just relieved he hadn't noticed him; he didn't want to resort to another threat.

"And you scolded me for being afraid of him," one of the Kokiri scolded his friend.

"Shut it. Did you see the look in his eyes? He was _pissed_!"

"He probably knew Link was back."

Link decided he'd just slip away, and walk around a different part of the village. A confrontation with Mido wouldn't end very well.

* * *

"Hey, you, aren't you Link?" Link looked up and saw that the Kokiri girl who sat over the shop entrance smiled down at him.

"Yeah, I am. You're, um, Leila, right?"

She laughed, and jokingly scolded him, "No, Leila's my sister, I'm Lily!"

He frowned, "Come on, cut me some slack, I've been away for four years, and you two are twins." At this, she laughed even harder, and Link took this opportunity to walk into the store to see if they had anything new in stock. He paused and let his eyes adjust to the dim light in the store as he walked in. He saw the store keeper leaning on the counter, back to the door, obviously bored. He turned around when he heard Link's boots on the hard wood floor.

"Oh hey Li-" He cut off, and then his eyes grew to the size of Deku nuts. "Link! My best customer! How've ya been, buddy?"

Link smiled slightly. The shop keeper had been one of the few people who were actually friendly to him, despite Mido's implorations not to be, probably because Link was such a good customer. "Good, Hermes. I see you don't have to jump to see over the counter any more."

At this, the shop keeper, Hermes, let out veritable gales of laughter. "You remember that?" he managed around his mirthful exultations. Link nodded, looking at the stock. Not much difference, except a few new items. Most of them were just trinkets, though, like jewelry, and similar items. "So, where'd you go, dude?"

"Oh, you wouldn't believe me if I told you," Link chortled.

"Fine, be mysterious. Just make sure you start shopping here again, okay?"

"Got it, Hermes." Link turned to leave and collided with someone.

"Ow…" she moaned, shaking her head.

"I'm so sorry; I wasn't looking where I was going." Link reached down, offering to help her up. She grabbed his hand and pulled herself up.

"I-it's okay, I wasn't looking where I was going either." She took her hand, pulling herself, and brushed herself off. She looked up into his face. She was stunningly beautiful. Her hair was long and blonde, playing around her shoulders. She brushed it out of her face, revealing her deep emerald eyes. She stood about three inches shorter than Link. She looked up into his eyes. "Um, who are you? I don't remember you being here."

"M-my name is Link," he stuttered, taken slightly off guard.

"Are you new around here?" She asked, personably.

"No, actually, I just, um… went away, a few years ago."

Hermes started laughing yet again, "Looks like Link has a girlfriend."

"Oh shut up, Hermes," Link muttered, turning red.

"Oh, don't listen to him. My name is Trea." She held out her hand. Link shook it. "So," she continued, "why haven't I seen you around before?"

"Well, I haven't been here for about four years."

"Yeah, he used to be my best customer, but he up and disappeared on me!" Hermes chimed in. "Now, if you don't mind, could you at least get out of the door way? I might have other customers." At this, Trea nodded and reached into her pocket.

Trea walked up to the counter. "Sorry, Hermes, I just came to by to sell this." She set a violet amethyst on the counter. He whistled, picking it up. "Easily fifty or sixty rupees." He put it under the counter and pulled out its monetary equivalent. "Thanks, Trea."

"No problem, Hermes. I found that out in the woods, actually." She turned and walked back to Link. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Link." She smiled, and walked out of the shop, humming quietly. Link watched her go, as Hermes examined his new jewel. The shop keeper looked up.

"Heh, Link, you like her, don't you?" he chuckled.

"Hermes, I told you to shut it." Link growled, blushing again.

"Yeah, you definitely do! Ah, wait 'till the rest of the village hears this. Link's got a thing for Trea!"

Link sighed, "How long has she been around?"

Still sniggering, Hermes said, "Oh, about three years. She just appeared, one night. Just stumbled in the village, half starved to death. So, naturally, we took her in, fed her, so on."

"Well… whatever. See ya, Hermes."

"See ya, Link. Heh, Link 'n' Trea, sittin' in a tree…" He got no further than this before Link had disappeared out into the bright morning sunlight.

* * *

Far away from Kokiri Forest, he existed, waiting for his chance to return, his chance to finally set his plan in motion to wreak his revenge upon that cursed 'Hero of Time'. He was no longer in that hellhole they had locked him in, he found a way to escape, but he no longer had a body. He was no more than a spirit, no more than an incorporeal being.

Before him, appeared a shadowy figure. At first glance, the sight of this creature set his blood to boil, but as he studied it closer, he realized it was not that cursed 'hero', but one of his most trusted allies. "My liege… he has returned. Our spy is observing him as we speak."

"Excellent. You are a good servant, Sotet. You shall be rewarded, but not now," the incorporeal master growled. "Now, I need a way to regain my former glory. As of now, I am nothing more than a ghost."

"Aye, master. We have found several ancient tomes in our library pertaining to the very subject. I have several scholars researching them, searching for the answer."

At this, the spirit cackled, "I will soon be able to destroy that damned 'hero'! You have done well, Sotet. Now, be gone. I need to rest." Even this small conversation had tired him. But that soon would be remedied.

And then, he'd take the world by storm.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** OK, don't freak on me, I'm trying to get to the good part. I'm almost there, so just bear with me.

Anywho, I took the last line from a song. If you give me the song and its artist, I'll mention you in the next chapter. It's not that hard. In fact, I'll give you a hint: Death Metal. For those who don't listen to death metal, tough. XD

So, how do you like the name for Dark Link? Yeah, it is Dark Link, he looks like Link and he's a shadowy figure. Stands to reason, hmm?

Oh yes, a fan flash series, and a fan-film, both for Legend of Zelda. Both are amazing, and you should watch them! The Legend of Zelda: Unknown Origins created and uploaded byCreatorScoot on YouTube, and The Legend of Zelda: The Sage of Darkness, directed by Josh Dixon, uploaded by TitusStudiosChannel. You should watch them! Now!

Last thing: You readers rock! Thank you for all the support! =D

Please review!


	5. Chapter Four

**Author's Notes:** Okay, word for word, this chapter is slightly longer than the previous chapters. I got to write a battle scene, yay! Well, I hope you enjoy the chapter. I didn't edit it that much; I just wanted to get this out. But, some important plot elements are here and there. So, keep your eye out.

* * *

- Chapter Four -

"So, you said you came here around... three years ago, was it?" Link asked Trea as they strolled through the village. Link took a bite out an apple and glanced over at Trea.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well," he swallowed the chewed up apple, "do you remember what happened?"

Trea paused, frowning. "No. I remember stumbling into the village… I was running from… something… but I don't know what. I don't remember a thing before three years ago. It's just blank."

Link simply nodded, not quite knowing what to say.

"So, where've you been these past four years? You said you 'went away'," she asked, looking at him curiously.

"You really wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"You said that to Hermes, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did," Link said, slightly absentmindedly.

"Well, why wouldn't I believe you?" she inquired, brushing her blonde hair out of her eyes.

"Well, fine, I'll tell you." He paused, collecting his thoughts, and then started his story. "Okay, well, I was riding through the forest, looking for a friend, and-"

"Who?" she interrupted him.

"Uh, my fairy guardian. Her name was Navi."

"Oh, lucky."

"What do you mean?"

She laughed, "Well, I've never gotten one. But I can't really expect to, only being here for three years."

"She didn't come to me until I was about ten."

"Really? That's different; I thought most Kokiri got their fairies at birth…"

"Yeah, but I'm not-" He stopped himself, remembering that it'd be best that they not know his true race.

"Not what?"

"N-nothing, never mind."

"Hmm… whatever. Anyway, continue with your story."

"Yeah, well, I was looking for Navi. She disappeared a while ago, after… well, after I turned eleven. Anyway, I was on my way, when these two fairies just flied in front of Epona, my horse, and spooked her. She bucked me off, and I passed out. When I woke up, this Skull Kid was messing with my ocarina. He ended up jumping on Epona and stealing my ocarina, and I chased after him. I came up to the edge of this chasm, and nearly caught myself… but I lost my balance and fell in.

"Well, when I got to the bottom, I landed on a Deku flower. I looked up, and there he was. Floating, wearing that creepy mask of his. I learned later that it was called Majora's Mask. Then, he turned me into a Deku Scrub, and then floated away. I chased him, but one of his fairies stopped me. Well, she turned around, and found that she was separated from her brother, whose name I found out later was Tael. She ordered me to reunite her with her brother, and I do mean order. She told me her name was Tatl."

"So… they're Tatl… Tael?" Trea giggled.

"Yeah, but when I pointed that out to her, she smacked me in the back of the head… not fun. Well, after that, I got my ocarina back from Skull Kid, and played the Song of Time on it, and went back in time three days."

"The Song of Time? And hold up, went back in time?"

"Yeah, it's a sacred song only known to a select few people that affects the flow of time."

"Seriously? And you're one of those 'select few'?"

"Yeah, is that so hard to believe?"

"Kinda." She laughed.

"See, if you don't even believe that, you'll definitely not believe the rest of the story."

"Try me." She said, grinning.

* * *

Saria gazed out her window, still lying on her bed. The late afternoon sun glinted off of her face, disallowing her to drift back to sleep. Groaning, she swung her feet back over the edge of the bed, and stretched. She got up and grabbed a glass bottle, which contained a small amount of water, about two mouthfuls. These, she quaffed, and then walked to the door.

Suddenly, she was assaulted by a wave of nausea. As if she was in the presence of sickness, and of death. But, as unexpectedly as it hit her, it left. She recovered, shaking her head as she looked about.

"So, I when I left Termina, I was spat back into some kingdom south of here," Link's voice drifted to Saria on the wind. "So, I made my way north with Epona, and returned her to Lon Lon Ranch, and then walked here." He walked into sight, and Saria saw who he was walking with.

"Hey Link," Saria walked up to them, waving. "Hello, Trea," she added, coolly.

"Hello, Saria," Trea muttered, just as cold. Puzzled, Link looked at Saria, then Trea, and back at Saria.

"Link, could I, ah, talk to you for a second?" Saria inquired.

"Sure." Saria walked back towards her house, and Link followed bemusedly, wondering why the two girls showed such a degree of coldness towards one another. "What's up?" he asked as they came to a stop.

"Well, I think you ought to know that me and Trea… well, we've never seen eye to eye."

"Okay… like me and Mido, right?"

"Something like that… I just… I don't trust her, and I never have."

"Why not?" Link frowned, for Trea hadn't shown any reason for him not to trust her.

"Well, she just appeared out of nowhere, for one. It was about your twelfth birthday, around that time, and she just stumbles into the village. Everyone else just trusted her explicitly, but… I just couldn't, something about her was… off."

"Alright, Saria," Link muttered, not really knowing what to say. He shrugged slightly, and continued murmuring, "She seems alright enough to me."

She just sighed exasperatedly, and shook her head. "Whatever, Link, I just don't trust her."

Trea was tapping her foot in a combination of boredom and impatience. "Hey, Saria, hurry up, will you? I was having a nice walk with Link, and you just interrupted it." She grimaced disapprovingly, and turned around, back turned to them.

Link turned a slight shade of red, and cleared his throat nervously. "Well, um… sorry, Saria."

"You don't have to be… I just… yeah…"

"Don't trust her."

She just shrugged. "Well, you can go continue your 'walk' with T-" She was cut short by a scream: "Rogue wolfos in the village!"

Link whipped around, his left hand already at his sword's hilt. Two mangy, filthy wolfos were lumbering into the village, hungrily scanning the Kokiri, who were all fleeing to the nearest house, save Saria, Trea, and the Hylian, Link. Seeing prey, they began stalking towards the small group.

"Get behind me," Link ordered the two girls, who, knowing this was the wisest course of action, did so.

The nearest wolfos, a large, muscle-bound male, covered with dried blood, dirt, lice, and other such parasites. The other, also male, was slightly smaller, but was in the same physical condition. He could tell they were male because females were not nearly as large. These two were each the size of a small horse, whereas females tended to be about the size of a large dog.

They split, and started to circle around Link, attempting to flank him so as to take him down easier. The one on the right, the larger of the two, pounced, but the Hero's fast reflexes didn't fail him; he spun and drew his sword in one fluid movement, slicing at its chest. It was thrown back with the force of the strike, blood pouring from the gash in its chest.

The smaller one, seeing its chance, pounced on Link's back, pinning him. Link saw his sword go flying and stick into the ground, blade down, not five feet away. He flipped so as he was on his back, and tried pushing his heavy opponent off of his chest, but to no avail. All this got him was his left arm pinned to his body. Link's right hand was busy keeping the canine's teeth from sinking into his neck.

Frustrated, the wolfos pulled its paw back and swiped at Link's face. He felt the beast's claws tear his cheek, and warm blood begin to well out. But he also noticed that the wolfos made a mistake: it freed his hand. Link reached down to his belt, and yanked a hidden knife from the inside of the belt. He stabbed upwards, underneath the monster's ribs, into its heart. It howled in agony, rolled off, shuddered, and died. Link stood, walked to his sword and yanked it out of the earth. He glanced over at the other wolfos, who was slowly attempting to crawl away.

The Hylian walked up to the semi-crippled canine. Grimacing, he stabbed downward through its throat. He turned his back on its whimpers of pain, its last howls of agony. Saria and Trea, seemingly forgetting about their mutual dislike, were hiding in Saria's house. They crept out, making sure no other possible threats were in the area.

"I don't think we'll be visited again for a bit," Link muttered, adrenaline still pumping through his veins from his short battle.

"Link, you were injured!" Saria exclaimed, running up to Link. She touched the blood on his cheek, but he shook his head. "It's just a scratch, Saria." Link raised his hand and wiped the blood from his face. Three ragged gashes were etched into his face like a three shallow canyons. After he mopped the blood from his wound, it was immediately replaced by more, the three gashes still bleeding. "Saria, do you have any spare cloth?"

"Of course, one moment, let me go get it." She walked quickly back into her house. Trea leaned by the door, obviously trying to keep her composure.

Suddenly, she jumped and pointed behind Link. "What the hell?" He spun around, ready for more beasts, but saw none. Instead, what he saw was the two wolfos. Their bodies were being consumed by cyan flames.

"How's that happening?" Trea asked, "I don't think wolfos burn away like that when they're dead."

"No, not normally," Link muttered darkly. "Last time this happened Gan-" He stopped himself. Not many people knew what had happened with Ganondorf, and those who did didn't know the extent of what had happened. Only a select few really knew the true danger of the man who was now sealed in the Sacred Realm. It would probably be best if it stayed that way, for panic would probably ensue if they knew what had really happened.

"Gan? Who is 'Gan'?" Trea folded her arms, looking annoyed.

"Nothing…" Link muttered, trailing off.

"Got it." Saria strode out of the door, with a roll of cloth bandages. Link pointed at the now smoldering remains of the two wolfos. Only a few stray teal flames danced on the ashes, clinging to what little life that was left of the two beasts. "Oh, no… this isn't good at all…" Saria whispered, looking shocked.

"Oh, come on, what do you two know that I don't? Spill it!" Trea asked, aggravated that she seemed to be the only one not in on the so-called secret.

"Nothing," Link repeated, and turned to Saria. "I have to go to Hyrule Castle and inform Zelda of this."

"Do you really think she'd see you over something like this? I mean, it is ominous, but still kinda trivial." Saria said, still holding the forgotten bandages.

"All the same…"

"You know what, I give up. You two can have your mysterious moments, I'm going to go lay down, I don't feel too good," Trea strode off in the direction to her house.

Trying not to laugh, Saria started bandaging up Link's cheek. "It should heal up fast enough; you'll be able to take these off in a few hours."

"Good, 'cause I look like some bandit with half my face covered." Link stated, chuckling.

"Well, when you're out of the forest, don't get yourself hurt again, I won't be there to bandage you up."

"Fine, fine, Saria, don't worry, I'll be careful."

Saria paused, her hand on his unwounded cheek. Link eyes flicked to it, and she pulled it back. Both were clearing their throats, and looking in different directions.

"I should probably start getting ready to leave…" Link muttered and began walking away. As soon as Link was out of earshot, Saria sighed gloomily. Her best friend was finally back- but only for a day. And he had spent most of that time with Trea. Saria ran her fingers through her hair as she turned and walked back inside her house.

Maybe they were just drifting apart…

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Okay, let's get ages and such straightened out. Link left when he turned eleven. He is almost fifteen now. That was as much for my benefit as yours, the reader's. I had it in my head, but it was kinda jumbled, so getting out in words is kinda helping it make sense to me. Saria is physically the same age (although in reality, she's older). Okay, what else… Ah yes, I may be publishing some other short stories, and the like. Just may. Nothing is set in stone yet. Anyhow… they're all pubescent teens; they don't know what the hell's goin' on! Yay! Ah, anyone who's been their age knows what I mean. "So many feelings! Oh God!"

Well, in the mean time, review please, and have fun!

Uhm… one last thing… Marilyn Manson, for the win. No, I'm not gothic, emo, or any other bull crap like that (because I've been accused as such for listening to him), I just enjoy his music. Y'all want some fun facts? He got his today legal name from the actress Marilyn Monroe, and convicted serial killer, Charles Manson. I just find that amusing, don't you?


	6. Chapter Five

**Author's Notes: **OK, chapter 5. Enjoy. I don't feel like summing up what's in this chapter, so just read it!

* * *

- Chapter Five -

Sighing, Link made his way to the exit of Kokiri Forest, absentmindedly still wiping his now-clean knife of wolfos blood. As he reached the gateway to Hyrule Field, he turned and looked back at the quiet village. Since the two beasts had intruded their village, the Kokiri had stayed indoors. He turned and was about to leave, but someone shouted after him.

"Link! Link, wait!" He turned to see Saria dashing after him.

"What is it, Saria?" Link inquired.

Panting, out of breath, she was doubled over. She looked up, directly into his eyes. "Please," she took a deep breath and stood up straight, "please, promise me you'll come back soon."

Link nodded, "I promise, Saria." He turned and started to leave. His first departure from his childhood home was flashing through his mind. As he strode out of the forest, he could feel tears welling in his eyes, but he blinked several times, and the feeling went away. He was leaving his home again… he was leaving Saria again.

* * *

Saria heaved a sigh, and leaned against the inside of the hollowed-out log that marked the exit of the Forest. Warm tears were trickling down her face. She cleared her face with the back of her hand, and turned to head back to her house.

* * *

Link had been marching through Hyrule Field for two hours now. The mid-afternoon sun beat down on his exposed skin, causing him to sweat profusely. He pulled his cap off and ran his fingers through his hair, savoring the cool breeze that started blowing at his back. He glanced at the plateau of Lon Lon Ranch. He remembered Epona was in there… it'd be so easy to just ride her the rest of the way… But no, Malon was probably enjoying Epona's company after so long of them not seeing each other. So he just pressed on, in the nigh unbearable heat.

Another hour later, and he had finally reached the gate to Hyrule Castle Town. He almost jumped in the moat, but thought better of it. He shook his head, his blonde hair still exposed to the sun, and trudged into town. The guard nodded sleepily to Link, who made his way into the crowded square. He could see the castle in the distance. "Almost there," he muttered wearily.

When he reached the fountain in the middle of the square, he stared into it for a few seconds, and then dunked his entire head into the cool waters. Link withdrew, and shook his head like a dog, his hair still remaining in spikes. He could hear giggling to his right, and he turned his head accordingly. Five local girls, all of which looked to be anywhere from ten to sixteen, stood in the shade of one of the trees, all hiding their smiles behind their hands, and giggling at this strange (and handsome) boy who just walked into town and submerged his entire head into the fountain. Their giggling turned to screams of surprise as they saw the scabbed wound across his cheek, ruining his 'good-looks'. They began whispering among one anothers. As the breeze carried their conversation, his keen ears picked up snatches, "What do you think happened to him? …those look pretty nasty… do you think he got in a fight?"

Another girl, obviously the eldest of the group began speaking, "I think… clumsy as hell! I mean… sword's pro'ly just for looks. He probably can't even use it properly… not even an adult!"

A third, who looked to be the youngest, piped up, "Maybe he's a knight!"

The second gossip sighed exasperatedly, "No, Violetta… said a minute ago… too young. Even if he could use that sword half decently… wouldn't let a kid in." She looked back up at Link, and caught him looking in their direction. He just rolled his eyes. This seemed to aggravate her to no end. She started talking rapidly and heatedly to her friends. He didn't even bother to listen in any further. As exciting as listening to teenage gossips for hours on end sounded, he felt he had already wasted the last couple of minutes.

Shaking his head, he put his cap back on, began walking around the fountain. Glancing around, he saw a food vendor's stall. As soon as his eyes rested on the stall, his stomach grumbled angrily. Well, it wouldn't hurt to just buy a small loaf of bread, or some cheese. He patted his empty wallet. "Damn it," he then swore aloud, trying to drown out the continued rumbling of his abdomen. He would just have to grit his teeth and bear it.

He reached the other side of the fountain, when he heard someone calling to him. "Pssst, kid." Link turned around again, and searched for the source of the voice. His eyes rested on someone in a cloak. This stuck out like a sore thumb; who in their right mind would be covered by a cloak in this heat? Wearing a cloak in these temperatures was like covering yourself in a blanket and entering Death Mountain Crater. Not the brightest idea, to be sure. He was suspicious of this individual: what was this person so desperate to hide, as to suffer the unwavering desert-like heat? He chose to ignore this character, whoever it was. He turned and continued walking purposely towards the castle.

He felt someone bump into him, and he heard a feminine voice murmur, "I didn't want to have to do this, kid." Link whirled around, and saw the cloaked figure walking quickly down one of the many allies of the market town. He looked down, and saw that she had taken his wallet!

"Hey! Give that back!" He dashed after her, still tired from his long crossing of the field. He still doggedly ran after the thief, just on her heels. Finally, they reached a dead end. She turned around, tossing his wallet up, and catching it on its way down, doing this over and over. "Just give me back my wallet, and I won't have to take it by force," Link growled, reaching for his gilded sword.

"Whoa, whoa, no rash decisions, kid. Here," she chuckled, as she tossed it to him. Not expecting this, he reacted just after the nick of time; the bag, unexpectedly heavy, struck him in the chest, just before he caught it. "Heh, happy birthday."

Appearing confused, he looked in the bag. It was now filled to the brim with rupees. He simply stared back up at this stranger, even more bemused. "Why?"

She reached up to her hood, "No reason, kid." The stranger pulled her hood off.

Her skin was a moderate tan, her hair an inferno scarlet, her eyes a fiery ruby. Her waist-length hair was tied back by a gold ring, similar to the gold ring around her neck, and around each wrist. "What's with the dumbfounded look? It's a gift, you should accept it," she said, folding her arms. "Oh, by the way, there's a surprise in there for you. Don't confuse it with a rupee and spend it, okay, kid?" she chuckled, turning around. She swiped her hand vertically, and a tunnel of flames appeared from empty air. As she stepped through it, she glanced back and smiled, "You're more important to this world than you think, kid, don't go and get yourself killed." She disappeared, and the flames disappeared with her. Still utterly confused, Link just stared at the spot where she had vanished. He managed to croak, "What the _hell_?"

* * *

"Twenty rupees, sir," a genial-looking man at the stall said to Link. He smiled as his customer handed over the fee, in exchange for the loaf of fresh bread. "Have a good day, and come again."

Link nodded, still utterly bewildered by his run-in with the stranger. She seemed unsettlingly familiar, though. Not as if he knew her personally, but as if she was just well-known in general.

Shaking his head, he tore a hunk out of the bread hungrily with his teeth, and, after hastily chewing it, he swallowed it. He set off at a quick pace on towards the Hyrule Castle once more. He had a princess to meet.

* * *

Nonchalantly, Link strode past the sleepy guard, who simply nodded to him. Then, the guard realized what just happening, awakening at once. "Hey! You, boy!" He ran back, and caught Link by the scruff of the neck, "Nice try, boy, but you're not aloud in here." The guard the would-be intruder out on his tail, and folded his arms, daring Link to contradict him.

"Fine, sir, I'll just go on my way, then," The boy muttered, trying to come across as respectful, but the increasing stoniness in the guard's expression informed him that he had came across as impudent and disrespectful. Although, in all honesty, he couldn't care less.

"You do that," the guard rumbled, his scowl becoming increasingly pronounced. Link turned, and walked back to the town. But once he turned the corner, he made for the vines hugging to the stony surface. Smiling triumphantly, he grabbed a hold onto the creepers, and began hoisting himself up, hand over hand, upwards to the top of the hill.

And so began his stealthy entrance into the veritable fortress of Hyrule Castle.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Woo. OK, hope you enjoyed it. Ah, not any action, really. But whatever. Don't worry, there'll be plenty of action in the future.

Something has been bothering me… my review rate has gone down. I must have them! OK, I won't post another chapter until I have at least five reviews for the last chapter. Or is that too much? Well, please review, even if just to tell me, "Hey, good story, please continue." I don't need a large review; I just need to know people are reading it.

Please review!


	7. Chapter Six

**Author's Notes: **Howdy! A'ight, here it is. Screw the five reviews, I'm uploading 'cause I feel like it. I hope ya like it.

* * *

- Chapter Six -

Panting quietly, Link entered the Hyrule Castle Courtyard. He had just narrowly escaped being seen by the guards patrolling the castle's corridors; sneaking wasn't nearly as easy as when he was only ten years of age, mainly because of the size difference. He squinted in the late afternoon light into the courtyard. As expected, Zelda sat on the steps near the window opening into the throne room. She was dosing over an open, rather thick, book. Link walked through the pasture-like courtyard, up to the sleeping princess, and lightly shook her shoulder. She jerked slightly, and muttered, "I'm up, I'm up."

She glanced up at Link, and then took a double take. "Link?! Oh, Nayru above, you're back!" She leapt to her feet, and threw her arms around him. He returned the embrace to his friend, and laughed. "Oh, Link, I thought something may've happened to you." She stood back, "Oh my… that looks nasty… what happened, Link?" She hesitantly touched the jagged gashes on his left cheek.

"Well, that's related to why I came."

Frowning, Zelda folded her arms. "What's wrong?" she inquired her friend.

Link reached up and massaged his cheek, and recounted his story; how the wolfos had barged into Kokiri Forest, and how after he slew each one, they both were incinerated by teal flames.

"And the smaller of the two gave me this parting gift," he wryly joked, pulling his hand away to show the rough gouges in his face. "Took me off guard."

"Well, so you think it's… well, him?"

"I think it may be him, Zelda."

She nodded and unfolded her arms, looking at the ground, deep in thought. "Well, I don't know, Link. It seems a bit trivial."

"Well, I thought it would probably be considered as such, but even still, I don't want to take any chances with Ganondorf."

"You're right, but what do you suggest we do?"

"I don't know, I was kind of hoping that you'd know." Link chuckled nervously.

"Well, I would ask Impa to investigate it, but two obstacles are in our way: One, what would we investigate? The only evidence is wolfos, and they're both incinerated, and two, Impa's gone to Kakariko Village. She won't be back for a couple of days."

"Heh, all the better, only a brat between you and us, your highness," a hollow voice emanated from the courtyard entrance. Link whirled around, and two cloaked figures. One reached up and lowered its hood.

Zelda let out a small scream of shock, "Staflos! But how did they get past the guards?"

"My, quite intelligent, aren't you, Princess Zelda?" the first one spat. They both cackled at this. The second lowered his hood as well, showing that he too was a Stalfos.

The second began taking off its cloak. "Okay, y'snot-nosed little bastard, out of our way, or someone's gonna get hurt, y'see?" he sneered.

Link merely remained quiet, and unsheathed the gilded sword.

"Heh, look Craniu, this kid's gonna fight us!"

Smirking, Link spoke up, "Why do you monsters always travel in groups of two? Do you not have the guts to take a kid one on one?"

Growling, the first Stalfos, or Craniu, as his partner called him, took his own cloak off, showing his full battle armor. He reached back, and took his curved, waved sword, and oval shield. "Okay, y'little bastard, you mess with the bull, you get the damn horns!" he snarled, lowering himself into a battle stance. The other clacked its teeth, and finished taking off its cloak, showing the same uniform armor, shield, and sword. He mimicked the other, equipping his blade and steel shield, and they both began circling Link in opposite directions.

"Remember, Strigoi, don't 'arm the princess. She's Gano-"

"Shut up, fool, don't say his name, y'see?"

They both had Link flanked now, shields raised. Strigoi lowered his first and swung his curved armament, and Link struck, cleaving through his brittle rusted armor like balsa wood. He was cut clean in half. Link, turned swiftly and parried Craniu, and rapped his hand, causing him to release his sword. Craniu backed off, shield still raised.

"This brat ain't normal, Strigoi!"

"Y'damn well think!? I can't even walk over there to give you a smack, 'cause he cut my legs off, y'see?"

"You incompetent fool! Toss me your sword!"

"No, get your own, Craniu, y'see?"

"Do you _want_ to die?"

"I'm already dead, you idiot, y'see?!"

The Hylian boy, deciding to end this slightly comical conversation, spun around, and kicked Strigoi's head clean from his shoulders. It crashed into the wall, shattering into fragments, and the rest of his skeletal body immediately fell apart, and the bones caught fire, the same cyan flames that had engulfed the wolfos.

Link turned back around, and saw Craniu charging him, having picked his sword up while Link had turned his back. Just in time, he blocked, and the loud clang of steel on steel rung through the courtyard. Blades locked, Link glared into the stalfos' empty eye sockets, and the stalfos glowered into Link's deep blue eyes. "Give up, boy, and I might let you live."

Gritting his teeth in disgust the Hylian boy simply spat in the stalfos' face. Howling in surprise and rage, he leapt back. Link flourished his blade, taunting the skeletal warrior to attack him.

"Okay, whelp, you're askin' for it!" roared the stalfos, and he charged Link yet again.

But this time, the warrior among the living was ready for this. As soon as his opponent brought that waved blade down, Link rolled around the undead battler and leapt up in a tornado of steel, slicing through the back of the skeleton's armor. Craniu fell onto the ground, stunned. Link finished him off with a casual stomp to his skull, and its fragments, along with his bones, were incinerated in teal fire.

Link cracked his knuckles and sheathed his sword. "Too easy," he grunted.

Zelda worried aloud, "What about the guards?"

"Probably all unconscious or dead," the forest-raised Hylian muttered grimly, looking at the courtyard's entrance, prepared for another enemy to strike. "Probably the latter." He glanced back at Zelda, "When'll Impa return, do you know, Zelda?" He felt slightly guilty, he had left Saria and the Kokiri unprotected.

She nodded as she sat back on the steps, feeling too weak to stand. "She should be back today, early evening she said."

Link glanced up at the open sky. "So, any minute now."

"You are quite right, young Hero." Impa stood right behind him, arms folded.

"Holy Farore!" Link leapt nearly a foot in the air. "I hate it when you do that, Impa!"

"Which is exactly why I do it," she said in that same measured tone, but with a hint of an amused smile playing on her lips. The Sheikah unfolded her arms. "You can go back to the forest if you wish, Link." Link nodded, surprised (and unnerved) that Impa had known his inner thoughts. He bolted back out of the courtyard, but was surprised to see a guard sleeping.

"A gaseous sedative. No need to worry about it, it's already dissipated," Impa's voice rang from the courtyard. He continued his swift retreat from the castle.

* * *

He ran in through the Hyrule Castle Town square, and glanced back up at the sky. The sun was beginning its decent. He ignored the fountain, just dashing through the shallow water. He continued sprinting until he reached the drawbridge.

The guard tried halting him, "Whoa, kid, it'll be nightfall soon, where do you think you're goin'?" Link tried to move around the guard, but he put out his arm, stopping him. "Kid, it's dangerous out there. Just 'cause you have a sword doesn't mean you can use it."

Link's lip curled as he snarled, "Oh, don't give me that load of sh-"

"Hey! Watch your language, boy!" the guard cut him off.

The underestimated hero took a step back and drew his sword, "Okay, I don't have time for this. Either you get outta my way, or I make you."

"You know what? Fine. Go get yourself killed, ya ungrateful little…" the guard's voice trailed off, as he muttered darkly, and grudgingly stepped aside.

He continued racing to Kokiri Forest, the dark expression on his face deepening, hoping to the Goddesses that nothing had happened in his absence. Something evil was among the land of Hyrule.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: A'ight, another battle scene! Woo! Yeah, everyone loves battle scenes… Okay, maybe not everyone. But still, I enjoy them. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter. And for the love of whatever deity you may pray to (or if you don't pray to a deity, for the love of all that is good!), stay with this, 'cause… I dunno when I'll get to the "good part", as I refer to it as. Hope y'all have a good day.


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